Update: Three U.S. college students were among those killed during the hostage siege in Dhaka, Bangladesh, reports CNN. Two of the students attended Emory University, with a third studying at the University of California at Berkeley.
Update: The hostage situation has ended, and the death toll is 20 hostages. Six of the attackers also appear to have been killed.
The authorities said 20 hostages, most of them foreigners, had been killed in the siege, the deadliest and boldest in an accelerating series of attacks by Islamist militants that have shaken the country’s secular underpinnings.
More details about the hostage siege reveals that the attackers tortured anyone who could not cite the Quran, according to witnesses.
Update: ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, CNN reports. Two people are dead and 40 others are injured.
***Original Post***
Gunmen are holding at least 20 hostages in the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh after opening fire, reports BBC. The restaurant is located in the city's diplomatic quarter.The nine or so attackers have yet to be identified, but witnesses say they heard them yell, "Allahu Akbar."
During an exchange of gunfire, one police officer was killed.
This post has been updated.